Misconception
by LysCat
Summary: This is a sequel to 'The Encounter.' Eric broke rule number one when he returned to Tris for a second night. He broke the second one after seeing her interact with Four. He shouldn't have cared, but he did.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Misconception  
Author: Alysia  
Category: Alternate universe as in there is/was no war.  
Summary: This is a sequel to 'The Encounter.' He broke rule number one when he returned to Tris for a second night. He broke the second one after seeing her interact with Four. He shouldn't have cared, but he did.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to The Divergent series.  
Author's Note: After posting my story 'The Encounter' and rereading it a few times, I was unhappy with the way I characterized Eric. Worrying that he was too OOC, I came up with this, hoping that this will further explain things and make it more understandable. And if I don't do a good job with that, then at least there's another Eris for you guys to read (and hopefully enjoy).

* * *

Chapter 1

As the last vestiges of sleep faded away, Tris Prior flopped onto her back, her arm hitting something warm and firm. Her eyes flew open as she looked at the cause, her companion. She hadn't forgotten about Eric's presence; however, her first thought upon waking, was wondering if he'd kept his word and stayed.

"Morning."

She smiled shyly. "Morning," Tris returned. "You're here…" Inwardly, she rolled her eyes at herself. Wow, way to state the obvious…

"I told you I would be where you wanted me to be," he replied softly, as if reminding her about his words.

He found himself in a completely new situation. What was he supposed to do? Should he initiate morning sex? Or would that not be agreeable to her? Agree to meet with her for breakfast? He'd never stayed a full night with any of his lovers, and he found himself feeling unsure about everything in that moment.

Tris felt a smile creep onto her face in response to his words. "Yeah, you did," she agreed, her voice still husky with sleep.

He felt his stomach churn. But it wasn't quite the sensation he felt before vomiting. However, his stomach felt off...weird…something he couldn't remember feeling. Eric frowned as he mulled over the various options that could be afflicting him.

Tris watched a frown pull at his mouth and subconsciously reflected the action. "You are thinking way too hard."

"My stomach…" He trailed off, still unable to put a name to the affliction.

She scooted away from him. "You better not be getting sick," she warned. Because if he was sick; there was no ways she wouldn't catch whatever he had, not after the things they'd don the previous night.

He rolled his eyes at her and the sensation he'd felt faded away. "I'm fine," he denied. "Whatever it was, it's gone." Rolling over, he stood from the bed and grabbed his underwear before making his way towards her bathroom.

Rolling onto her side, she propped herself up with her arm and rested her head atop of it. She had no desire to leave her bed. And as she bent her legs so they were partially uncovered by her comforted, she realized that her body hurt in the most delicious way.

Eric had been trying to determine the best way to leave her apartment. That, was also another reason why he always left so early in the morning; no awkward morning encounters. And there was the question of who he would pass on the way back to his apartment. Not that he particularly cared what others thought, but he did have an image to uphold. He liked to keep his personal life separate from his work life; no one needed to know how he spent his free time. Or with whom he chose to spend it with.

After wetting his hair, he styled his hair, sans hair products. When he was pleased with his reflection, he returned to the bedroom to finish redressing. However, the sight of the temptress in the bed pulled him to a stop.

He'd never considered Tris an exotic beauty. And she didn't possess the handsome features of his 'usual' partners. But there was a classic allurement to her that he couldn't help but notice. He'd always been very aware of her. He just hadn't realized how much until recently, and it unsettled him when he had.

"You are very enticing right now." He watched her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Really? She was blushing?! Hell, he knew what she tasted like. He'd had her bent over table as he fucked her blind. She'd ridden him like a champion-and now she was blushing?

"You could always join me…" She left the invitation open.

His mouth twisted up in a smirk. She had no idea how enticing her offer was in that moment. "As much as I would like to, I have to shower and get to work. Raincheck?"

She did her best to shrug her shoulders. "I don't know," she feigned disinterest. "Someone else might come along…"

He shook his head. "No, they won't," he denied easily. Eric noticed her wince in reaction to his words and immediately backtracked. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just, you aren't that kind of girl. So even if there was someone else interested, you wouldn't just hop into bed with him."

"I fell into bed with you," she reminded him softly.

"You certainly did…" he nodded. "And the shower and the table…"

* * *

"You look…oddly refreshed," Christina observed as Tris grabbed the seat next to her.

Immediately, warning bells sounded in her head. However, she remembered double checking the hall after Eric's arrival. It had been clear…hadn't it? Tris tried to think back to the exact moment.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Abnegation born denied with an air of innocence.

"Mmm-hmmm," Christina hummed, rolling her eyes.

Across from them, Lauren narrowed her gaze first on one and then the other. "Okay, what are you talking about?"

"I have it on good authority that Tris received a visit last night from a very prickly and intimidating leader," Christina divulged.

Christina's clue left very little for her to question and Lauren raised an eyebrow at Tris. Why had Eric gone to visit her? Eric hardly associated with anyone that wasn't leadership or had something to do with his role as a leader.

"I also have it on good authority that he didn't leave her apartment until this morning," Christina piped up, smirking at Tris.

Lauren's eyes widened, almost comically so.

Tris replied with a dead stare. It would have been amusing if she wasn't the topic of conversation. She turned her head and glared at Christina. "What, are you a detective?"

The Candor born shrugged innocently. "You're the one that invited him to stay the night…"

"You slept with Eric?" Lauren hissed, very aware that they weren't alone. There was no other reason reasoning for Eric staying the night with her. It wasn't as if they were friends, and if they were, Tris would have said something…wouldn't she?

She should have been grateful that her friend had kept her voice down so as not to draw attention to their conversation. But the look on Lauren's face forced Tris to cross her arms and purse her lips.

"Seriously, you slept with Eric?" Lauren demanded. "What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me," Tris replied with a frown. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you have sex with him back when you guys were initiates?"

Lauren immediately shook her head. "That is so not the same thing," she denied. "I slept with him back before I knew what he was like," she attempted to defend herself.

"That doesn't make it better, you just admitted to sleeping with him before you knew him," Tris countered.

"Fair enough," Lauren admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. She wasn't the least bit offended by her words, she liked sex and she wasn't ashamed to admit it. "But…I still can't believe you slept with him. He's so…Eric, and you're…you." It just didn't make sense. They had nothing in common, no common interests, their personalities were completely opposite from one another. She'd been Abnegation born and he'd been Erudite born; neither faction got along with the other. "I don't get it."

"There's nothing to get," Tris shrugged. "It was just sex, and now it's done."

She hadn't really had time to consider what Eric's actions the previous night meant. He'd kept her far too preoccupied then, and she had forced herself not to think on him since they'd parted. Or, she had been attempting to…until Christina had to share her business. She certainly wasn't about deconstruct what everything meant while she was surrounded by not only her friends, but a large portion of Dauntless.

"Just sex, or really hot damn sex?" Lauren asked, wiggling her eyebrows. It had been years since her encounter with Eric, but he'd known what he was doing then, she could only imagine that his form had only improved.

A blush crept onto her cheeks, and Tris was forced to look away from both of her companions.

Lauren found herself smirking in response. "Really hot damn sex, it is."

A pair of hands settled on shoulders. "Who's having really hot damn sex?" Lauren knew that voice far too well. Even if she didn't need to turn around to check the correctness of her assumption, the panicked expression on Tris' face spoke volumes.

"Four," Christina squeaked in greeting. "What are you doing here?"

The friendly smile died on his lips as he looked from Tris to Christina. The two looked panicked, and he was willing to bet that Lauren wore a similar expression on her face as well. He pulled his hands from the latter's shoulders and claimed the vacant seat next to her. "Eating," he replied. "Although something tells me that I'm going to regret choosing to sit here…"

Tris smiled tightly at him.

"So, who's having hot damn sex?" Four asked with an air of nonchalance. Again, the reaction he received was not comforting. Tris immediately moved her eyes from his form as Lauren and Christina looked between the two of them.

"Oh, you know…I have that…thing…I was supposed to finish," Lauren said after clearing her voice. She pushed her tray away from her and moved to stand from the table.

Of course… It was all fun and games until the ex-boyfriend approached. "Don't you dare leave me," Tris hissed under her breath, looking towards Christina.

Everything was growing more awkward by the second and Christina shook her head. "Yeah…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Lauren needed my help…with…the…thing…" The excuse was a poor one, and she knew it. "I'll…find you later," she told her friend before looking across at Four. She offered him a sad smile. "See you around, Four."

Tris watched her friends walk away, glaring at them until they disappeared from the room. This certainly wasn't a conversation she'd intended to have with her ex-boyfriend. And considering the fact that she didn't even know what was going on herself, it only made it worse.

"So…I guess that answers that question," Four said, feeling awkward.

Tris' shoulders dropped and she replied with a half-smile. "Yeah…"

"You're moving on," he voiced after an uncomfortable pause. "It's not a shock, Tris," Four added, offering her a small smile. "And we've been broken up for months. One of us was bound to move on at some point, you just happened to make the first move."

She shook her head. She understood his reasoning, but she couldn't say she completely agreed with him. Despite the fact that it had been months since their break-up, there were still emotions there. Their relationship hadn't ended on a bad note. And she supposed that there wasn't a reason to end it, except for the fact that her feelings for him had changed along the way. But in the end, she couldn't lie to herself any longer. And when she'd finally broached the subject with Four, his reaction only proved to her that he felt the same way.

However, he was still an important part of her life. She would never regret the time she spent with him or the memories they'd shared. And Tris was worried that once he found out about her dalliances with Eric, he would walk away from her.

"It's not…I haven't…" She hadn't exactly moved on. "I mean…" She sighed. "I don't know what it is," Tris mumbled miserably.

Four took notice of the fact that her hand rested on the table between them. "You don't owe me any answers," he reminded her softly as he placed his hand over hers. He wasn't sure why she was nervous, but he hoped she'd find comfort in his action. It didn't matter that their relationship had ended. Tris had been such an important part of his life, he hated seeing her struggling. He wanted her to know that he didn't care that she'd moved on, and that she'd react the same way if their roles were reversed.

"I know that." But it didn't stop her from feeling guilt swell within her. Even after her initiation, Four and Eric had never learned to get along with one another. They did their best to ignore one another, but when they were forced to occupy the same space, they traded barbs and insults. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she looked at their joined hands. "But you were such an important part of my life, I feel like I owe you answers. And I'd rather you hear it from me than someone else. And I don't even know what any of it means but-"

"Tris, seriously, I don't-"

She pulled her hand out from under his and cleared her throat. "I had sex with Eric."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm…sorry? Did you just…Eric? You…had sex with Eric? Eric Coulter?" Four could only shake his head. "Eric…who has done nothing but try and make my existence miserable since we were initiates."

She pursed her lips wondering how many times Four was going to say his name. Because there were so many other Eric Coulters in Dauntless…

"The same Eric that made me throw knives at your head during your initiation training?" Had she gone insane since they'd broken up?

* * *

Exiting the mess hall, Tris expelled a deep breath and leaned against the nearest wall. She supposed it could have gone worse…it could have gone better, but it could have been much worse. Once his shock had worn off, Four seemed to take the news relatively well; though that was probably because she'd appeared so confused about everything.

"So…that's how it's going to be?" Eric asked in a flat tone, approaching her from around the corner.

She frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

He shook his head, a sneer twisting his lips. "What? Last night's activities not enough for you? Or, maybe it was just what you needed to hold you over until you and loverboy reconciled?"

Why would he ask that? Unless… He'd seen her conversation with Four… "Eric-"

He held a hand out to stop her. "It's not like it matters."

Her frown deepened. If it didn't matter, why mention it in the first place? He was the one that said their first night together was nothing more than that. And then he hunted her down to initiate another night. Seriously, his mood swings were beyond irritating. He was be bi-polar… That must be it. Because she'd never met anyone as indecisive as him.

"Eric…" She tried once again to dispel his obvious assumption. "Whatever you're thinking-"

He shook his head. He didn't need to hear the 'it's not you, it's me' conversation. He'd been involved in a few of those talks, but it he'd never been on the receiving end of one; and he refused to start then. "It's not like it matters," he denied. He should have known better than to break his rule. He should have known better than to go back to her for a second time. "I mean, last night was great; no one's ever ridden my cock the way you did."

As soon as the words passed his lips, Eric instantly wanted to rescind them. He'd gone too far, he'd known it by her reaction. However, his pride refused to let him apologize and beg for forgiveness. Happening upon the scene he had, Tris and Four holding hands over the top of the table… He thought their relationship had been over, but apparently not. She'd obviously changed her mind about him, them.

If he'd slapped her, she wouldn't have been more surprised. Her eyes widened before narrowing on him. Who did he think he was? Who did he think she was? She'd never been into casual encounters, and because of that, he was only the second partner she'd had. She and Four had been together for months before they'd taken that final step. And for Eric to… She'd never felt so cheap, so used… She felt the sting of tears, but she pushed them away. Tris refused to let him see the effect that his words had on her.

She opened her mouth to deny his words, deny the conclusion that he'd come to. But one look at him told her that he wouldn't believe her. He didn't want to listen to her. Tris knew that no matter what she attempted to say, he would either ignore it or argue against her. And…it really didn't matter. She didn't need to fight for someone who was willing to believe the worst of her.

Unaware of the self-deprecating thoughts hounding at Tris, an unpleasant memory welled up and Eric was unable to force it away.

" _Hey…"_

 _The soft, feminine words pulled him from his slumber. Rolling onto his back, he felt the sheet slip down his naked body, but he wasn't in a hurry to cover himself. "Hi…" he murmured, pulling his companion down closer to him. He ran his hands through her hair and kissed her, his hands running down her shoulders and arms._

 _Breaking the kiss, she nibbled on her bottom lip and pulled away from him. "Eric, there's something that we need to discuss…"_

 _The serious tone in her voice caused him to frown. "Rebecca, what is it?"_

 _Looking down at her hands, twisting nervously in her lap, she attempted to sooth her nerves. "The Choosing ceremony is in a few hours," Rebecca voiced._

" _Yes, I'm aware. Hence the reason why I snuck out to be with you this evening," he replied, not unkindly, but teasingly. "Everything will work out tomorrow, Becks, you'll see." He'd been worried, but he knew he shouldn't have been, her words were nothing more than a bad case of nerves._

 _He'd known Rebecca most of his life. They'd grown up together, their parents were friends. So it only made sense that he and Rebecca grew to develop a mutual attraction for one another. He kissed her for the first time when they were twelve years old. They went on their first date of fourteen, granted, his mother drove them. At fifteen, they lost their virginities to one another. It seemed as if everything worked out perfectly between them, and he had no complaints._

" _We'll both choose Dauntless, and whatever happens, Becks, I'll help you."_

 _For the last year, the pair had been in an intense battle of wills when it came to their upcoming choosing day. They had planned to stay together, deciding to leave Erudite. However, it hadn't been easy, selecting a faction. And they'd only recently settled on Dauntless, and Eric had been much more interested than her._

" _I know you would," she breathed, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Eric, I'm not going with you," she said, disconnecting from him completely._

 _His world crashed down around him. He turned to her, his eyes wide with confusion. "Excuse me?" When had she decided that? They'd made plans…together. What was the point of that, if she was going to disregard them?_

" _You and I both know I'm not cut out for Dauntless," she denied in a soft voice._

" _You know I would help you in any way possible." He'd make sure that she passed initiation. "I would never leave you to become factionless."_

 _She shook her head. "I know, but the more I reflect…Eric, what did you get as a result from your test?"_

 _He frowned at her. What did it matter what he got? "Dauntless," he whispered the partial truth. "I received Dauntless. What about you?"_

" _Erudite."_

" _You know that we don't actually have to follow the test results," he said softly. "It's just a way to help guide people, but it doesn't mean…" he shook his head, a desperateness settled into his chest cavity. "Becks…" As the time approached for the Choosing Ceremony, she hadn't once betrayed an air of insecurity, maybe if she had, he would feel better equipped to deal with their conversation? He didn't understand where this was coming from._

" _I'm staying here…" She paused, as if gathering her nerves. "Do you remember Charles?"_

 _He pursed his lips. Charles Price had been a year older than them in school. And Eric remembered that Rebecca had once harbored feelings for the older boy. Before his own relationship with Rebecca, Eric remembered that the two had shared a brief relationship, which ended when Charles moved on to another girl._

" _I ran into him a few weeks ago."_

 _He sighed loudly. She'd run into her former boyfriend? Lovely, how come she'd never mentioned it before this night? "What exactly are you trying to tell me?" He'd rather she just spit it all at once. "You and Charles reconnected? Is that what you're saying?"_

" _I'm so sorry," she apologized, not even denying his words. "I didn't plan for it, it just…happened."_

 _He suddenly realized that he was naked in front of a young woman that was no longer his girlfriend. "You're staying in Erudite because of him? To be with him?"_

" _He isn't the only reason, but yes, we're going to be together. He's already spoken to my father." And her father had already consented to a formal relationship. And if everything worked out between them, they would one day be married._

 _Eric shook his head and jumped to dress. Not only had she cheated on him, but her father had consented to a relationship between them that would one day, more than likely, lead to a marriage? He'd never spoken to her father about requesting Rebecca's hand. He figured that he wouldn't have to after they defected._

 _He was very aware of the ring box burning a hole in his pocket. Maybe it was a bit premature, they were both still young. However, she'd been a necessary part of his life since he could remember. He couldn't think of one memory that she wasn't a part of. And so he'd saved up his allowance and purchased a ring. It wasn't by any means large or overly gaudy, but he'd spent enough money on it that she would have been proud to wear it._

" _How could you do this to me?" He asked, his voice thick with emotion. "We were supposed to transfer together." Oddly enough, it never once crossed his mind to offer to stay with her in Erudite. "We were supposed to be together for the rest of our lives."_

 _She shook her head. "You never once spoke about that."_

 _He glared at her. "First of all, that does not excuse the fact that you cheated me. Secondly, what? You thought we'd transfer to a new faction and I'd drop you like a hot coal?" He would have never done that, and he felt insulted that she would think he'd behave in such a way. "Rebecca, if I hadn't wanted to be with you, I wouldn't have asked you to transfer with me." He honestly thought she'd be his forever._

" _Eric, I do love you-"_

" _Don't you dare say that to me!" He watched her startle. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to calm himself. "You can't tell me that you're marrying someone else and then in the next breath, claim to love me."_

" _I never wanted to hurt you. I…you're a very important part of my life, Eric."_

 _He could no longer hold his scoff. "Yeah, so important to you…just not quite enough since I ranked below Charles." Did she not realize that she'd just broken him? He swore he'd never let another woman into his heart. He'd never give someone the ability to break his heart again. "So what was tonight about? You wanted one last pleasurable fuck before resigning yourself to a life with Charles?" She'd grow to regret her decision. In school, Charles had been unable to reconcile himself to one relationship, always searching for the next best thing. Even if they did marry, Charles would never remain faithful to her. He watched her wince and satisfaction welled within him._

" _Eric, please…"_

 _He smirked at her, ignoring her pleading. "I wish I had known that it was our last time, I would have made sure to commit it to memory. But soon enough, it…and you will be forgotten."_

" _You say that as if you have plenty of experience, as if I'm not your only lover." She knew he was lashing out, she'd expected as much, but his words still bit at her._

" _You're my only lover as of yet," he corrected harshly. "Mark my words, Rebecca, you're going to regret your decision one day. One day, when your husband cheats on you with yet another woman, never remaining completely discrete about it; you're going to wonder what happened to me. And me? I'm going to be a leader, I'm going to have scores of women under my belt and you'll be nothing more than a distant memory."_

True to his words the night that he parted from Rebecca, he had excelled through initiation. He was ranked one of the top initiates during the first phase, and secured his place at second when Four beat him during the second phase. He'd done well enough that he was invited to join the ranks of leadership. The first year after his initiation, he spent training under existing leaders. The first year as an official leader had proved challenging, but he'd promised to make a name for himself.

And just as he'd sworn to himself, he'd never once opened himself up to another woman. Oh, they'd tried. Several women, both young and old had attempted to claim him as something more than a lover, but he'd been resistant to all. He enjoyed the attention and more often than not, that meant they were willing to do just about anything in their desire to land him. However, he was comfortable with one night stands. His leadership training hadn't offered much spare time.

And his desire to prove himself as a leader, had left him even less. As the months passed; the women that were once interested in securing him, realized that he was content to remain unattached. However, he was never left alone for very long when he was in want of a partner when the desire arose. And his partners seemed to understand his contentment. It was one thing that he always made sure to emphasize before anything further happened between them.

He shook his thoughts away. "I should have known better," he quietly lectured himself. "Oh well," Eric attempted to excuse the fact that his stomach was twisting furiously. "Live and learn, right?" He asked, sneering at her. His eyes trailed up and down her body. Hesitating from moving on, he silently asked her to deny his words, to fight him, beg him to stay. She didn't move a muscle and he shook his head; whether if it was at her or himself, he didn't know. "I guess I'll see you around," he shrugged off, turning around and leaving Tris.

* * *

AN: So that's the first chapter. I'm thinking this will only be two chapters; maybe three, at most. I hope I provided some insight into why Eric is the way he is (or my version of him anyway).


	2. Chapter 2

Mrs. Marple Poirot: I'm glad you like it! Thank you for taking the time to review.

Annie0801: I worried that I made it too angsty and teenish, but I think in the end, it explained it well enough. I only hope I can keep it up.

Wholocker78218: Thank you.

Sifuri Makosa: There's something about angst that I just can't seem to stay away from…when I write it. I'm not pregnant, but I'd probably be feeling similar if I read this chapter. I'm hoping to explain a bit more about Eric without making Tris seem like a doormat.

Diehardromantic: You know me and my angst. I do have a couple longer Eris stories I was working on, but I didn't anticipate posting anything. I still have LTLB and AOF to think about, and I owe it to myself and those readers not to forget about them. And though I don't intend to forget about those, this idea wouldn't leave me alone.

Dauntlessly-Divergent15: I hope this wasn't too long of a wait. I've had it written for a few days, but I was just re-reading and adding bits and pieces.

Libra18j: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Maurcharoltte: Thank you, and thank you for taking the time to review.

Guest: I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Eris: I still have at least one more chapter for this. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Feigninginterest: I hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter. I just felt that I needed to give him a background. And I hope I don't ruin the character by have written what I did.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to The Divergent series.

* * *

Chapter 2

"You fell for him…" Four said one night when they were in the control room.

It had been a week and a half since Eric had confronted her outside the mess hall. It had been ten days since she'd last slept well. It'd been more than 216 hours since she'd opened herself to Eric, only for him to both disappoint and insult her. She spent most of that time in a haze, barely able to concentrate on anything around her.

That first night, she joined her friends for dinner. Putting on a brave front, she shrugged off the encounter with Eric. Christina appeared to buy her casual dismissal; but both Lauren and Four looked at her closer. Even Will seemed unable to buy her flimsy excuse.

Blinking, Tris focused on Four's words. "I beg your pardon?"

"Eric," he sighed. "You fell for him."

He wasn't even able to finish his observation before she began shaking her head in negative. "No. No, I didn't, I couldn't have." They'd only spent two nights together. It wasn't enough time to feel anything substantial.

"You did," he insisted.

"Four," Tris interrupted. "I couldn't have," she denied softly.

Pulling his gaze from the monitor in front of him, he shifted his body to give her his full attention. "Of course you did," he argued. "Despite the fact that we haven't been close in a while, I still know you better than most people." She hadn't changed much since their break up, her dalliance with Eric aside, Tris was still the same as she'd always been.

It wasn't uncommon for transfers to hold to the beliefs of the faction they were born into. Every transfer was guilty of it at one point or another. However, none of the factions were as stringent when it came to sex and intimacy as Abnegation was. If he and Tris hadn't defected, they never would have had sex before marriage. But they'd loved one another and trusted one another; it had been an expression of their love. And though Four knew she wasn't in love with the young leader, she must have held him in regard if she'd slept with him.

"You're different than the rest of the women here. You don't sleep around." Not to say that _every_ Dauntless woman did, but most practiced sex before marriage; and most of those were casual experiences. He shook his head. "I don't know what the first night was about." And frankly, he didn't want to know. "But I do know that you never would have allowed him into your bed that second night if there wasn't affection for him on some level."

She frowned, chewing over his words. She couldn't have fallen for Eric Coulter. She'd hardly spent any time around him for something to develop.

"And you've been moping for a week," he added.

"I'm not moping," she argued. "He insulted me, my integrity," Tris grasped.

"If that was the case, you'd be indignant, not wounded," Four smarted.

"No," she denied with an air of finality. "I think I'd know if I had feelings for Eric. And I don't. And after our last conversation, I sure as hell won't let myself go there again." She'd opened herself up twice and Eric had shit on her, both times.

Four hesitated, watching her. Tris was studiously attempting to ignore him. "You aren't the only one that feels like this." He said quietly.

"Oh?" She asked, attempting to sound nonchalant. "And how do you know how Eric is doing?" Had the two of them become friends in the last week?

Four shrugged. "I've heard from different people that he's been a particular sort of bastard in the last week or so. More so than usual," he tacked on as an afterthought.

Tris rolled her eyes at his added barb, but she didn't comment on it. "I can't imagine why. He was the one that decided…" No, she wouldn't go there. Why should she care about how Eric was doing? "Look, I appreciate that you're trying to compartmentalize this for me, but I don't want to think about it."

"Oh, I hadn't realized that you'd moved on from the subject with all the sulking you've been doing these past few days."

"Seriously, Tobias." She was tired of thinking about Eric, because it seemed like that was all she'd been doing. The last thing that she needed was to be reminded about him while at work. "I'm tired of thinking about him. My one reprieve from my thoughts, is work. And now you're starting in on it. I don't want to talk about this anymore. Please." Running a hand through her hair, Tris shook her head.

"Fine," he leaned back in his chair. "Since you're out of here in an hour, I'm going to grab something to eat before you leave."

She nodded in response to his words and turned back to the screen before her. She hadn't been scheduled to work that night, but someone begged her to switch shifts. And considering the fact that she really had no social life to juggle, Tris figured that someone should be able to enjoy their life. At least she'd be able to relax the following morning.

* * *

"You're an idiot, you know that right?" Lauren said, stopping at Eric's office door. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame.

"Is there a reason why you've decided to bother me?" Eric asked, never pulling his gaze away from the stack of papers before him.

"Tris." Her eyes were trained so keenly on him, so she didn't miss his slight wince. "I don't know what you think you saw, but you had no right saying what you did to her."

Sighing, he placed down his pen. He really didn't care to discuss anything with her, but he knew that stance. He'd been forced around Lauren long enough to know that she meant business and she wasn't going anywhere until she spoke. "Tris is a big girl, why are you fighting her battles?"

"Because like you, she's too stubborn to make the first move," Lauren bit back. "What happened, Eric?"

He smirked in response to the question. "Why are you speaking to me like this? Like we're friends or something akin to it?" The only time they ever spoke was during the initiation process. Other than that, they tended to stay away from one another. He found it funny that she approached him, broached the subject of Tris…as if she had a right to know his business.

"Because I'm tired of you taking your shitty mood out on the rest of us."

Eric rubbed his forehead, knowing there'd be no getting rid of her until she was satisfied. "Lauren, what do you expect me to say?" He asked in a calm voice. "It was sex, nothing more." Even as he said the words, they felt empty. But he chose to ignore it and power on. "Tris knew that, so I don't know why she's sending you."

"Tris doesn't know I'm here," she denied easily. In fact, she'd probably throttle her for visiting Eric. "And excuse me, but I have to call bullshit."

He was almost amused by her words.

"I've known you for years now, and I've never seen you return to one of your partners for a second night," Lauren continued to recall. "What made Tris so special?"

"Maybe I just liked the way she felt around my cock?" Eric supplied crassly after a moment. She narrowed her gaze on him, not liking his words at all, and he couldn't blame her. Even as they passed his lips they felt wrong. "So what if Tris is the only one of my partners that I went back to? It was sex. It isn't as if I pledged my undying love to her." Why did Lauren not understand that? He'd never known her to hold such sentimentality.

Lauren shook her head. "You know what? I don't care if you tell me what's going on in that warped head of yours or not."

"As if there was ever possibility of that," he scoffed.

She ignored his words. "But you should at least tell Tris…or explain something to her. She's been miserable this past week and it's because of whatever you said," Lauren added. "You owe her that much."

"Is this heart to heart over now?" Eric asked, ignoring the advice she'd solicited. "I have paperwork to get back to."

Lauren turned around to leave, but as an afterthought, she turned back to face him. "Just so you know, Tris and Four aren't back together." She didn't even wait for him to digest her news before she sauntered out of his office.

* * *

A week had passed before an event occurred that drove Eric into Tris' arms. Only it hadn't been as pleasant as the first two encounters. And it opened his past to not only Tris, but everyone present for the awkward encounter.

"Jeanine, you're looking as lovely as ever," Max greeted the Erudite leader as she and her and a small group of people approached him and Eric.

"Thank you," the blonde replied. "I believe you know most of my associates," she mentioned the rest of her party. "Please, allow me to introduce Rebecca Price. She's the newest to be promoted among our team."

Up until then, Eric had remained silent and most uninterested in the events. He didn't care for introductions, he'd much rather get down to the reason why Erudite was there than meeting Jeanine's new associate. However, the name pulled him to a stop. His head shot up, and his gaze settled on a once familiar form. Rebecca continued to look at him as she politely shook hands with Max.

"Hello, Eric."

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Rebecca," he acknowledged, though he kept his hands to himself. He took in her appearance, taking notice of the fact that she looked much the same as she had the last time he'd seen her. Her long blonde hair was just as lovely as it has always been. However, he'd also noticed that her body had filled out in the last few years, and he had to grudgingly admit that she looked wonderful.

Jeanine and Max began speaking, leading the assembled group as Eric took up the rear. He would have been content to be left alone to his thoughts, but Rebecca seemed to have other ideas.

"How have you been, Eric?"

"Good." If she thought they were going to play catch up on their way to the conference room, than she had another thing coming… The only thing that he wanted to know was if his prediction about Charles had been correct.

"So, you've done pretty well for yourself…" Rebecca tried again. "I mean being a leader, the youngest leader…"

"I told you I would," he replied flatly. When he put his mind to something, it didn't matter what, he achieved it. His desire to be a leader had been no different.

Rebecca bit her bottom lip. "You did, you look good," she complimented. "It suits you, Dauntless does." Eric had always been attractive, but she couldn't deny that the piercings and tattoos suited him very well.

"And how have things been in Erudite?" He asked, refusing to bend to the common courtesy of extending the same pleasantry back at her.

"I ran into your mother the other day, she's doing well."

Eric nodded once, but didn't comment on it. What could he say? 'Faction before blood,' was a heavily held ideal. Not only did Erudite hold true to the saying, but Dauntless did as well. And he found the best way to cope from being separated from his family was to put them out of his mind. It was relatively easy when it came to his father, they'd never been close. But he did miss his mother occasionally.

"Eric, I...can't you talk to me?" Rebecca asked after a moment.

"What should I say?" He asked evenly, not looking at her. "I thought that we said everything that needed to be said the night before our choosing ceremony?"

She shook her head. "I'm not going to apologize for my decision. It obviously worked out well for you in the end." She pursed her lips, waiting for him to respond. "And I'm doing good, thanks for asking," she tacked on sarcastically.

What did she expect him to say? The last time they spoke, she'd broken his heart. Of course he wasn't eager to open himself up to her, even if it was only for a conversation. "And how's your husband?" Eric asked with an air nonchalance.

"He's good. Working away, he is. I…he works long hours," she stumbled through her words.

"I'll bet," he muttered. Working, yeah, sure. He'd bet that Charles was working someone out…

Rebecca narrowed her gaze on him. "I know what you're thinking, and it isn't like that," she denied. She'd never forgotten about Eric's parting prediction.

Was it just him, or did these hallways seem to go on forever? He couldn't remember the last time that it had taken so long to get to the conference room. They turned down the corridor that housed the control room and when he spotted the door open, he peered past the people in blue to notice that it was none other than Tris exiting the door.

Disregarding the fact that they weren't alone in the hallway, Eric quietly excused himself from Rebecca as he stopped in front of Tris.

She drew to a stop, not expecting him to approach her. In the two weeks since their last encounter, he'd avoided her as if she was diseased. And honestly, it worked out easier that way, it didn't hurt quite as much when she wasn't forced to see him. Not only was he approaching her, but he was with Max, Jeanine and other members of Erudite. Why was he approaching her despite the fact that they were there? "Eric, what-"

"I'm going to kiss you in about thirty seconds," he warned in a soft voice, so as not to draw attention of those that surrounded them.

"No you're not," she denied. She didn't know what game he was playing, but she was tired of playing it.

"It would make things so much more believable, if you would respond," Eric continued, disregarding her words completely.

She shook her head, it was minute so the others wouldn't see. However, she knew he didn't miss it by the way his eyes filled with apology. He was going to kiss anyway, despite her denial.

"I'll explain everything later," he rushed to deny, and he would. He couldn't ask her of this and not give her something in return.

"Eri-" She opened her mouth deny him again.

However, he cut her words off. Stepping up to her, he wrapped one arm around her waist as his free hand settled at base of her skull. He held her securely against him and took advantage of her open mouth. He nearly groaned against her open lips. Falling into the increasingly familiar taste and feel of her, he kissed her with all the pent up emotion that he felt for her. Forgetting about everyone else and the reason why he'd approached her in the first place, his tongue sought hers out. And for whatever reason, she responded to his ministrations. Their tongues fought for dominance.

Tris felt her body betray her as she immediately responded to his mouth. Her arms wrapped his upper arms and she kissed him back as if she was starving man and he was the food that was meant to sustain her.

The sound of a voice clearing, forced Eric back to the present. He kissed her lips once more and disconnected from her completely. "I'll see you later," he told her in a soft voice meant only for her before he turned around to the others. Max, Jeanine and the rest of the Erudite visitors stared at him in varying degrees of amusement.

Her cheeks immediately flared with embarrassment as Tris watched him join the group. However, her attention fell to the blonde at the back of the entourage. The woman looked at Eric with such heartbreak that Tris felt her own heart ache.

"Hello, Tris," Max greeted with a pointed smirk on his mouth.

She cleared her throat, dragging her attention from the blonde woman. "Max," she replied softly.

"Eric, if you're finished, might we make our way to the conference room now?" Max responded, turning to him.

The young leader smiled and gestured to the room at the end of the hall.

Tris held still as the group passed her, her eyes trained on Eric…who never turned back once to look at her. But the same blonde from before had.

* * *

Hours had passed since their encounter in the hallway and Tris had thought about nothing else. His lips, his mouth, the hold that he'd had on her. The thoughts taunted her and she wanted nothing more than to forget it ever happened. As if she wasn't having a difficult enough time getting over their last encounter, he had to go and kiss her breathless!

He said that he'd see her later. Later?! What did 'later' mean to him? Would he find her? Had he expected her to go find him? She just didn't understand it. She'd wanted to hunt him down the moment she saw the Erudite members leave the Dauntless sector, but she'd forced herself to stay calm. She didn't want to appear overeager.

And though her thoughts continued to taunt her, she treated herself to an afternoon of pampering. She'd gotten her hair trimmed and styled and even purchased a new outfit. It was nothing over the top and still completely tame compared to other Dauntless members, but she hardly ever spent her points on frivolous items.

She joined her friends for dinner, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she'd laughed and participated in the conversation. Other than Max, Jeanine and her colleagues, no one else was in the hall to see her kiss with Eric. And because no one knew what transpired earlier in the day, her friends were shocked by her turn around.

After dinner, the group made their way to the pit. It was loud and busy and Tris quickly grew tired of the crowd. Her friends had splintered off. Uriah and Zeke quickly disappeared from her sight. Christina and Will found a quiet corner doing…something that she preferred not to think on. However, Tris' attention turned to Four.

Four had never been much of a dancer. During the eight months that they'd been together, she could count the number of times that he'd danced with her on one hand. However, she watched him awkwardly move with Lauren. His actions unsure, and he was obviously thinking too hard. She watched Lauren lean over and say something as a big smile broke out over his face and he pulled her against him. Lauren and Four? Hmmm? How long had that been going on? How had she not noticed?

She tossed back the rest of her drink before setting the cup down. Another trait that she'd kept with her after defecting, was her inability to embrace alcohol. Tris didn't understand peoples like of it. She'd had the worst hangover after her first night drinking, and it had been enough for her. Since then, she hardly indulged in it, and when she did, she kept it to one drink.

Catching Lauren's attention through the crowd, she waved at her and pointed towards the direction of the living quarters before turning back around. She'd intended to return to her apartment, but a lone figure off to the side, captured her attention. Was that…Eric? She stared at him for a moment. She'd never seen him look so…lonely, and he was, for the most part, a loner. As if sensing her gaze, she watched him turn his attention to her.

"You weren't at your apartment," Eric observed.

"I wasn't aware that I was supposed to wait around for you," she shot back. She hadn't intended for her words to hold double meaning, but she wasn't lost on it. And given the arch of his eyebrows, he hadn't missed it either. "You didn't exactly give specific instructions before you walked away earlier."

He smirked. "No, I don't suppose I did." His eyes traveled through the sea of Dauntless members, stopping on Four and Lauren. Huh…so that's why she'd told him that Tris and Four weren't back together? Given the closeness of their gyrating hips, they were either in a new relationship or very close to being in one.

"What was today about?" Tris asked, forcing Eric's attention back on her.

"You really want to discuss this here?" He asked, very aware of the fact that they weren't alone. He didn't exactly feel comfortable with the knowledge that others would be able to overhear them.

She shook her head. "I don't care where we discuss it, but I want answers. I think I deserve them," she tacked on seriously.

Eric nodded. "Fine. But I would prefer not to discuss this here," he gestured to the crowd around them. Standing up, he walked towards the chasm, knowing that she would follow him. No one went near the chasm unless they absolutely had to when they were sober, so it was completely deserted since everyone was drinking. He claimed a seat at the edge, his legs dangling over it.

Tris followed him and quietly claimed a seat next to him. She waited for him to begin speaking, but when he didn't, she sighed. "Who was that woman with you earlier?"

He'd been trying to figure out how to begin his story, but he supposed her question was a good place to start. "Her name is Rebecca Price, nee Kale. She was my girlfriend back in Erudite."

Tris' attention immediately turned to him. Had he said girlfriend? Like…girlfriend? She wasn't aware that he even understood the concept of one.

As if sensing her shock, Eric rolled his eyes. "Please, continue with look of disbelief…"

She weakly smiled. "Sorry," Tris apologized. "It's just…I wasn't expecting to hear that," she added quietly.

"I wasn't always like this, Tris." His words were quiet and they held a hint of sadness behind them. "It was another life." He supposed that it was supposed to have been another life.

Tris reflected on his words. Rebecca had been his girlfriend. Eric had kissed her…out in the open…in front of Max. He'd kissed her in front of his ex-girlfriend. It wasn't difficult to deduce the meaning behind his actions then. He was either trying to make Rebecca jealous or trying to prove to her that he'd moved on. And why would he do that? Because their relationship hadn't ended on the best of terms.

"She isn't just your ex-girlfriend though, is she?" Tris asked. No, Rebecca must have been something much more substantial or he wouldn't have acted the way he had earlier.

"I was in love with her. We were supposed to transfer to Dauntless together," he shrugged. "And once we were here, I was planning on proposing. I even bought her a ring," he added with a humorless chuckle.

He continued to share his story with Tris. He spoke of the close tie that existed between his family and Rebecca's, their last night together, the fact that they'd been intimate right before she ended things between them. He spoke of Rebecca's infidelity with Charles and how that had changed him. He didn't hold anything back as he spoke on his altered view of relationships and love. He spoke of his preference to keep things simple…physical.

"I didn't think I'd ever see her again," he finished. Charles had been more on the scientific side and Rebecca hadn't been interested in any form of leadership. In the ensuing years since his transfer, he'd never once run into either of them during one of his many trips into Erudite.

"And then she showed up today…" Tris trailed off, watching him nod along. "So…you kissed me…why?"

He shook his head. "Because we started speaking of her husband-"

"You were jealous," she interrupted.

He immediately shook his head in negative. "No," he denied. "At least…not in the way you are thinking," Eric added. "And I don't even think it's so much jealousy as realizing…" he trailed off, not feeling comfortable admitting the rest of his thought.

"What you don't have," Tris finished quietly. She watched him nod.

"After things with Rebecca ended, I wasn't in a hurry to put myself in a similar position." He'd gone for the complete opposite to ensure that he didn't have a repeat episode. And his plan had worked. However, seeing Rebekah again reminded him just how well he'd succeeded in that plan.

It explained so much about his reaction to her the morning she spoke with Four. It didn't excuse anything, but she understood it. "So…when you saw me and Four…you thought that…" She watched him admit her words with a barely perceptible nod of his head. "But you said yourself it was just sex."

"I know what I said," he snapped. He didn't need her to remind him. "Look, I…it doesn't make any sense, I know that. But I know what I feel…felt."

All he knew was that he hadn't been able to get Tris out of his head. She was in most of his thoughts. He woke up in the morning, hoping that he would at least get to see her. The past three weeks only left him feeling more desperate for that desire. He couldn't explain when it happened or even why, but he felt…something. Something that he didn't even feel comfortable labeling.

"I appreciate the explanation," Tris began after a moment of silence. And because he had been truthful with her, she wouldn't hold anything against him. "But you and I…that can't happen again." She couldn't put herself through that, she wouldn't. Tris didn't know if that was even something he wanted, but she needed to say it anyway.

He'd expected her to say something like that. And honestly, he couldn't blame her. It was probably for the best. He didn't do relationships, he couldn't give her what she wanted. "Fair enough," he admitted quietly.

She nodded in affirmation. "So…friends?" And she meant friends, not friends that fell into bed with one another. She waited while he seemed to study her as he weighed her offer.

Pursing his lips, Eric considered her words. He didn't have many friends. He spent a good majority of his time with the leaders and because of that, friendships had been formed among them. It was difficult to find friends when Dauntless members seemed to have issues distinguishing him on a personal level as compared to how he was when he was on the clock. He'd managed to find a small group of friends aside from the other leaders; but even then, he kept himself separate from them. He didn't open himself up to others very well or often.

"Friends," he agreed.

* * *

AN: Considering the fact that I left them 'friends,' I figure that I owe you guys one more chapter...just so I can make everything right between them.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to The Divergent series.

Author's note: Sorry I disappeared, life got in the way. I can't tell you guys how many times I erased and re-wrote various parts of this chapter…before I felt comfortable with the finished product. I had anticipated on this being the last chapter, but I'm thinking I might add a short epilogue.

* * *

Chapter 3

Being friends had worked out much easier than either Tris or Eric thought it would be. For Tris, she'd spent the following weeks getting to know Eric, or as much as he was willing to share with her. There were still times when he was completely stand-offish. She'd since learned that it wasn't her, it was a mental handicap that he seemed to carry around when it came to trusting others. He was still the sarcastic man she'd always known, but Tris felt oddly closer to him than ever before. She'd taken to calling their nights together, 'experiences.' And she'd noticed that those experiences afforded them a sort of intimacy that hadn't existed previously. Tris often found herself experiencing moments of total attraction to him when she wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind. However, she'd meant what she told him the night above the chasm. She wouldn't be more than friends with him, she couldn't. She couldn't handle his mood swings and the constant push and pull.

As for Eric, he discovered himself in a completely new position. His friends were either those that he worked with or drank with. He hadn't had an actual friend since before he deferred from Erudite. Under that reasoning and the fact that Tris was a woman, he wasn't sure how things would…should progress. She didn't seem to have any issues keeping him in the 'friend zone,' so he made a point not to have issues with their new label. She was still the same person that she was before, and he had made several attempts at being honest with her; but there were times that he still struggled. Despite all that though, as the days progressed, he grew increasingly skeptical that their new friendship would last much longer. His feelings for her were steadily growing and he found himself uncomfortable with the knowledge that their casual encounters weren't so casual; or he didn't want them to be.

Her friends, though skeptical over his and Tris' new label, welcomed him with open arms…mostly. Of course, he and Four would never become pals. They still traded barbs and insults, but the intensity of hatred and dislike behind them had faded. Christina was also very weary of him, not that he particularly cared much. The Candor born had bothered him when she was an initiate, she bother him still. However, she was Tris' best friend (though he didn't understand why), and he made an effort not to discount her. That being said, Lauren, Will, Zeke and Uriah were willing to give him a chance; if not for his sake, than Tris.'

" _You partying up tonight?" Eric asked, smirking down at the drink in Tris' hand._

" _Always," she mumbled. Inwardly, she wondered if she'd ever feel 'normal' while hanging out in The Pit. She still remembered the wonder and excitement she'd experienced when she'd seen it for the first time. However, she'd never grasped the concept of 'letting loose.' And found herself, more often than not, feeling self-conscious when she joined the other members of Dauntless. "What about you? Are you behaving yourself?" Tris asked._

 _He smirked at her. "I always behave myself," he replied casually._

" _Mmmhmm," she hummed along, though she found it difficult believing the words._

 _He chuckled. "I figure that I'll have an early night. We have a meeting in the morning with the other faction leaders." The last thing he'd needed was to be hungover during an already long and exhausting morning._

" _Okay, well, if you change your mind…" She left the invitation for him to join them open. Though she really didn't think that he would._

" _I'll keep that in mind," he replied, though he knew he wouldn't join them. He really did have a meeting the following morning and he didn't want to be unprepared for it._

He had fully intended to return to his apartment…alone. He'd long since embraced social drinking and the like, but he knew when enough was enough. He was toeing the line between feeling buzzed and feeling drunk, and he knew that one more drink would push him over.

"Eric."

The sound of his name forced his attention and he came to a stop. "Donna…" He greeted politely.

"It seems like it's been ages since we last spoke," she replied, moving closer to him.

Across The Pit, Tris attempted to join her friends in their conversation, but the sight of Eric and an unknown woman pulled at her interest. She found herself unable to look away from the pair.

"Tris, are you okay?"

The question forced her from her thoughts and she turned back to her friends. "Hmmm?"

Lauren frowned at her. "I asked if you were okay," she repeated. "What's wrong?"

"I…I don't know," Tris admitted quietly. She cast a quick glance over the rest of their friends, thankful that they were all too busy to take notice of their conversation. "I…" She cleared her throat. "Who's that?"

"Who's who?" Lauren asked. The Pit was full of people, she'd need to see whomever it was Tris was inquiring about.

"The woman with Eric," she replied, tilting her head in Eric's general direction.

It wasn't as if she'd been watching him or anything, but as soon as she saw the woman approach him, Tris was unable to hide her frown. She witnessed a familiarity between them that left her feeling uncomfortable. She'd approached him and touched his arm like she'd done it a thousand times before.

Lauren followed Tris' gaze, her own lips turned to a frown. "That's Donna." She'd never gotten on with the red head. Donna had joined Dauntless two years before she had, and Lauren had quickly learned that she was the female version of Eric when it came to sex and one night stands.

A severe frown pulled at Tris' mouth. Donna. Who the hell was Donna and where had she come from? Surely, she would have met the woman by now? And why was she touching Eric in such a way? "What is she to him?"

The older Dauntless woman could only shake her head. What was Tris looking for her to say? "What do you think she is to him?" She asked with a pointed look on her face as they witnessed the two kiss.

Tris frowned. "But…" He wasn't supposed to be with another woman. He said he was going to turn in for the night. Why would he lie to her?

Whether Tris realized it or not, she'd fallen for Eric. She'd known it, Four had known it. Hell, whenever Tris and Eric weren't present, the two were often the topic of conversation. It seemed as if everyone in Dauntless knew that something had shifted between the leader and the Abnegation transfer. "She's sort of been a reoccurring role in his life," Lauren whispered.

"But I never saw them together before," Tris shook her head.

"Maybe you did and you either forgot or just didn't care then?" Lauren supplied weakly. "I mean before you and Eric fell into bed with each other, did you really take a lot of notice in him?"

Tris shook her head, sadly. She watched Donna move in and kiss him while he responded to the action.

Eric always claimed he preferred one night stands, and she'd known that he had a lot of them. She just hadn't realized that he'd had someone…that was a regular hook-up. For a while Tris had felt special (though she tried to ignore it) because he'd returned to her for a second time. She'd felt as if she'd held something over his previous partners… Obviously, she wasn't so special…

"Tris," Lauren sighed.

The young woman shook her head. "I should have known better. I mean, I'm the one that said friends was all we could be." She just didn't think it'd hurt so much to see him with another woman.

Lauren hesitated upon voicing her next thoughts, but the look of sadness on her friend's face pushed her into action. "Four was right, you did fall for him."

Pausing to consider the words, the younger woman nibbled on her bottom lip. "I guess I did," Tris admitted sadly. "I…could you tell the others that I went home?"

"Do you want me to go with you?" Because really didn't need to hang in The Pit. She did that often enough.

Tris shook her head. "No, thanks though." She'd much rather stew in her self-pity alone.

* * *

All he could think about was the fact that this was wrong, so completely wrong. He'd never had performance issues, and he and Donna knew each other so well that there'd never been issues when it came to sex. His body still responded to her, of course it did, he was a red-blooded male and she was beautiful. But it didn't feel…right. And as she moved over him, ready to drop over his erect cock, he shook his head.

He gently pushed her away from him.

She exhaled an annoyed sigh. "What's wrong?"

Eric could only shake his head. "I can't do this." Rolling over, he sat on the edge of his bed. He'd never abstained from sex for so long before. Nearing two months since the night he shared with Tris, his body was begging for release. So when Donna had approached him in The Pit, he went along her, because why not? He had no formal ties holding him down, no prior engagements… But in the end, he couldn't do it.

"Why not?" She asked, turning to face him. Raising a hand, she ran a hand over his back. "I know you want me, I saw and felt the evidence of it."

He immediately stiffened, and it wasn't until she removed her hand from his person that he relaxed. "You are a very beautiful woman, Donna. But I can't do this."

Letting out a dramatic sigh, she leaned over the edge of the other side of the bed and began to retrieve her clothes. "It's her, isn't it? Tris?"

What the hell was he doing? Here he was in bed with a beautiful woman, and he didn't want her! He wanted Tris. He wanted her to be the woman in his bed. Until she'd come along, he'd never had an issue in taking a different lover to bed whenever the urge arose, but he felt dirty. And he certainly didn't like the fact that Donna (of all people) had mentioned her.

"She's the reason why you haven't come to me in four months," Donna continued on. "You two were together."

He dared not say anything in response.

"And this is what? You on the rebound?"

"It ended a while ago," denied in a stilted voice. Whatever _it_ was, was over before it really began.

She shook her head. "Apparently not for you," she muttered. "I've never seen you like this before, and I've known you for years. You've never let a woman get to you, but she got past whatever walls you built."

"It wasn't intentional," Eric denied. "I didn't plan on-"

"Falling in love with her?" Donna interrupted.

"I'm not in love with her," he instantly replied. He wasn't, was he? No! Surely, he would have known if he'd fallen in love with someone.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked him softly. "The two of you may have had everyone else fooled, but I know how you are and I saw how you looked at her…still look at her." She couldn't say she was happy for him. Eric wasn't like everyone else, and he managed to keep everyone at arm's length. It had taken her years to worm herself into his affections, and even then, she was nothing more than the occasional confidant and bed buddy. He'd never once looked at her the way he looked at Tris. And she felt slightly embittered over it.

Her words tore at him. He couldn't have possibly been so open. He'd always made sure to maintain a respectable distance from Tris when they were in the presence of others.

"I don't know what happened between the two of you, but you need to either fix it or find closure," she cautioned as she finished dressing. Without a look backwards, she left the apartment.

"Jesus, what's wrong with me?" Eric asked, rubbing his face. He made his way to the shower, hoping to wash away the experience.

He'd never once had issues with Donna…with anyone. What had happened? How could that have happened? He and Tris weren't even together, yet she somehow managed to affect him in such a way! He'd never been so wrapped up in another woman. And he didn't like it.

After Rebecca, he swore that he'd never let another woman so close to him. He would never give someone else power over him, and he'd kept it going. But Tris had managed to get under his skin. He didn't know when it happened, but it had. And he didn't like it one bit.

He shouldn't have cared about her in the first place. And Tris' presence in his life shouldn't have affected him in that way; he should have been able to be with Donna without the thought of anyone else. He'd never cared before. Why did he care then?

Stepping under the shower spray, he attempted to wash away his thoughts…or at least find some sort of rhyme or reason to them.

 _"What are you doing?" She asked, staring at Eric's naked form._

 _He shrugged his shoulders. "I thought I'd join you," Eric replied easily. He stepped into the shower, sliding the door closed behind him. Slipping under the water, he washed out his hair._

He loved the fact that she was so…inexperienced. Normally, his partners were knowledgeable and willing. However, Tris made up for that in abundance with her eagerness and attentiveness. Several of her experiences were a 'first' for him as well, and Eric couldn't deny the fact that he liked it. He liked being the one that introduced her to various positions and experiences…because who didn't remember their first?

 _"I like the way you watch me," he admitted, leaning back into the water and letting it cleanse his hair of the shampoo._

Being a member of Dauntless, being a protector; it was expected to be in shape. He worked hard for his muscles, for his body…and it showed. And more than that, he knew he was attractive. He knew he appealed to the opposite sex, but the way that Tris managed to look at him… She looked at him like he was the only man in the world; when she looked at him.

 _She licked her lips. "I like the way you look," Tris responded through a burst of courage. It was so unlike something that she would normally say._

 _"I'm glad you approve," he murmured. Without turning from her, he pushed the water nozzle to spray higher. "Have you ever had sex in a shower?"_

 _She shook her head in negative._

 _White hot pleasure coursed through him at the thought that he'd get to experience a first to her. He couldn't explain it, and he refused to ponder on it at that moment. Settling his hands on her waist, he pulled her closer to him. "Have you had that new serum?"_

 _"I did."_

His first and only experience with skin on skin contact had been years earlier, back before he'd transferred from Erudite. It was the stupidest thing he'd done. He'd allowed his lust to get the better of him. And as much as he thought he loved Rebecca, they could have ruined their lives with an unplanned pregnancy. They'd been lucky. He caught up with himself and pulled out at the last second. And from then on, he always remained safe.

 _"Good girl," he replied, leaning in capturing her mouth in a kiss. Their first night together, he'd gone through three condoms before she fell asleep for the night. And as much as he'd enjoyed the experience, he'd wanted to sheath himself inside of her without any barriers. His hands traveled down her hips before he cupped her ass in his hands and lifted her up._

However, he'd also remembered it as being the most pleasurable experience he'd ever had. Every other encounter until that point, though enjoyable didn't measure up. And he'd wanted to share that with Tris. He'd wanted to lose himself in her, he wanted to feel her without any barriers between them

 _Tris automatically wrapped her legs around him and hissed when her back gently fell against the cool shower wall. Her hands moved to his hair, running her fingers through it for the first time._

 _"I have you naked, against a shower wall, and you're playing with my hair?" He asked, smirking at her._

 _"I like the way it feels," she replied shaking her head at herself. She could only imagine what he thought of her, given the position she found herself in._

 _"Well, I like the way your pussy feels around my cock," he purred in her ear, pulling the lobe in his mouth and suckling on it. He was rewarded with a breathy moan. Easing a hand in between their bodies, he reached for his throbbing member and ran it against the length of her slit. He'd barely push the head of his cock inside her before pulling it back out. Resting his forehead against hers, he repeated the action two more times. "Fuck, you're already so wet for me…"_

 _"Don't tease me, Eric," she moaned, throwing her head back._

 _"You want my cock inside you, Tris?"_

 _She nodded in a jerky manner._

 _He eased himself inside her again; however, instead of pulling out as he had the previous times, he continued to push inside her. He watched her eyes close as her head fell backwards. "No, Tris. I want to see your eyes when I enter you for the first time without any barriers."_

Eric didn't think he'd ever be able to properly compare her eyes to a color or label them against anything. They weren't quite brown, but they weren't hazel either. There were no tints of green in them, but the color in her eyes did seem to change upon the lighting. He hadn't realized it was possible until he'd met her. And locking eyes with her in that moment; watching her reaction to his ministrations caused his stomach to clench.

 _Eric ground his teeth together. Fuck, she felt so good around his cock! He honestly didn't know how he was going to last. Whatever experience she had before him couldn't have been much, she was so responsive to him, so wet. So tight! She fit him like a second glove, almost as if she was made for him. The thought crept up, unbidden, but it sent a shit ton of lust straight to his buried cock._

 _When he was buried to the hilt, Tris' eyes rolled shut._

 _Giving himself a moment to calm down and her a chance to get used to him, he leaned his head against her collar bone. "You feel so good around me, Tris," he confessed, kissing her tattoo. "Fucking amazing."_

 _Rolling her hips against him, she urged him to go on._

 _Eric complied to her unspoken demand. Pulling out, he surged back in._

Just thinking about their shower excursion caused him to grow hard. Unable to help himself, he fisted his hand around his length and began jerking off. He hadn't needed to succumb to such a juvenile action since before his transfer. However, his body was aching for release and he couldn't help himself.

Closing his eyes, he remembered the feeling of losing himself in her body…multiple times. In his mind's eye, it was Tris' velvety passage that gripped his cock instead of his fist. He remembered pounding into her sweet body, and her mewls and keens of pleasure reverberated in his thoughts. He grunted in response. And then he thought about bending her over her table and fucking her from behind. He hadn't had back as he'd plowed her. And she'd cried in pleasure, but she'd taken everything he'd given.

"Fuck…"

He felt the familiar tingling crawling up his spine and he knew that his orgasm wasn't far off. A few pumps later, his cock erupted. His seed sprayed the shower wall as his head lulled backwards.

* * *

"I know I said that friends was a good idea, and maybe I thought it was at the time…" Tris nibbled on her bottom lip before shaking her head. "I don't know what I was thinking," she sighed. "Eric, you and I aren't friends. We've pretended to be, and maybe it worked for a while, but can you really tell me that there wasn't something bubbling just underneath the surface?" Scrunching her nose together, she frowned.

Rolling her eyes at her reflection, she shook her head. No! She would not be the one to cave! So what if she was the one to insist on friendship? She never would have had to make such a declaration if he wasn't so bi-polar in how he treated her!

Why couldn't he just be a normal guy? She understood that his past with Rebecca had irrevocably changed him, but when would Eric realize that not every woman was like the blonde? And why couldn't he seem to pull his head out of his ass under the realization that she didn't do casual? Tris couldn't claim that it was love, but she felt something for the young leader. And there were times that she didn't even understand why she'd fallen for him. But she had. And she was tired of fighting it and second guessing it.

"You know, talking to yourself isn't exactly subtle…"

Her shoulders dropped and she rolled her eyes at her companion. "Have you ever just stopped and considered…everything?"

Crossing his arms, Four leaned against the wall nearest to Tris.

"Everything would be so much easier if it was you," she whispered. "I mean, you…we…make sense. But Eric-"

"Not everything is about making sense. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but…you and Eric, though not conventional, work." To say he was shocked when he first learned about them, would be an understatement. However, he'd watched their interactions since then. Tris thought they didn't make sense, but he'd seen that they did. "Just because we worked at one point, that doesn't mean anything in the long run."

She nodded slowly. "I know. And part of me understands that, but then part…" Tris exhaled a sigh. "Things were just so easy between us, and I always knew where I stood with you."

"I've…I can't say that I _know_ Eric, but I've known him since our initiation. And in all that time, I've never seen him interact with anyone, the way he does with you." The way that Eric was around Tris…Four could almost forget about the fact that he was the same stand-offish, sarcastic, arrogant and frustrating Eric he'd always been. "I'm not saying that everything will be romance and rainbows, but there's something there, Tris."

She shook her head. "He left The Pit last night with someone," she said, her voice nearly breaking.

"Lauren told me," he nodded uneasily, not sure how to proceed. He didn't want to offend her, but it was hardly fair that she was upset. "Weren't you the one that said friendship was all you could offer him?" He watched her wince in response, but she didn't deny him. "So then why wouldn't he be able to look elsewhere for…companionship?"

"Because he should have known that I only said that because he's emotionally stilted!"

He considered her response for a moment before frowning. "So you set him up to fail a test that he didn't even know about and you're acting this way because of it?" Four asked after a pause. "That's hardly fair."

"I didn't," she denied quickly. Had she? Her protests died off as she thought over his words. She hadn't meant for it to be considered a test. Honestly, she hadn't!

He waited for her to mull over the revelation she'd come to. "Let me ask you this, after everything is said and done, does it really matter?" She frowned in response to his inquiry. "Knowing what you do, seeing what you did last night, does it change your feelings for him?"

She shook her head, worrying her top lip between her teeth. "No," Tris replied simply. It didn't change anything. In fact, thinking about Eric with Donna, or anyone else, only reaffirmed her desire for him. She wanted him, and she wanted him to want her in return.

But what if she'd ruined things between them? Yes, Eric seemed to suffer from an emotional handicap, but since their attempt to be friends, he hadn't gone out of his way to be cruel. After her conversation with Four, she realized that she couldn't say the same. Eric had confessed that he felt something for her, and instead of embracing it, she'd denied him. What if Eric reconsidered his feelings for her because of it?

* * *

The last thing he wanted to do was paperwork. However, the notes he'd taken during the meeting needed to be typed up. Erudite generally took it upon themselves to take general dictation of the meetings, but Eric didn't care for the generalized, and often partial, summary that was provided by them. He preferred to have his own spin on things, so that if he had to look back on anything, his personal additions to notes would better help jog his memory.

He'd awakened that morning with the niggling of a headache. Between the confusing thoughts of Tris and the alcohol he'd considered the previous night, he stayed in bed as long as he could without being classified as late. He'd skipped breakfast in Dauntless. And though Abnegation served coffee, tea and water during the course of the meeting as well as various baked goods, it was nowhere near enough to fill him up. He couldn't take more than what was deemed acceptable without appearing rude.

Upon returning to Dauntless, the first thing he did was fill up a tray from the cafeteria and bring it up to his office so that he could also work on his notes. He hadn't expected to see anyone in his office when he opened the door. Locks weren't necessarily needed for the leaders' offices. Of course, Max had his locked whenever he wasn't in it, but he was the only of the leaders to do so. He stopped short at the sight of Tris, perched on his couch.

"Tris? Why are you here?" Belatedly, he realized just how his inquiry sounded and he tried to speak again. Setting the tray down on his desk, he tilted his head at her. "Is everything okay?" She appeared tense and her mouth was pulled down into a frown.

"I'm…maybe I shouldn't have come to your office?" She replied in a soft voice.

He frowned at her, wondering what was wrong with her. He hadn't seen her as quiet and unsure since her days as an initiate. "You know I don't care about that," he denied easily. "Has something happened?"

She shook her head quickly. "No. I…I just wanted to speak with you." Tris began fiddling with her fingers. "But I'm thinking that this probably isn't the best place, and I'm second guessing my decision to speak with you in the first place." Standing up, she approached him. "You're obviously busy, and I don't want to intrude," she excused weakly.

If it was anyone else, he may have just let them walk out the door with the understanding that they would speak later. However, he found himself unable to do that. When she tried to sidle next to him to exit the room, his hand shot out and he stopped her from leaving.

"Tris, what's going on?" He inquired in a soft voice.

With a gentle grasp of her arm, Tris came to a stop; however, she made no move to turn around and face him or shake his hand off.

"What's wrong?" He asked in an even softer voice than before, his eyes never wavering from her form. Immediately, she stiffened in his arms and he frowned at her. She'd never reacted in such a way to him, and he found himself not liking it one bit. "Tris, you can't come here, act like this and say the things you did without me being curious," he tried once again. If she left without explaining the issue, his thoughts would have been engaged elsewhere instead of the paperwork he had originally planned to do.

Expelling a deep breath, Tris opened her mouth to speak. She wasn't sure what would come of it, but she couldn't not say anything. Not after witnessing him with another woman, seeing him with Donna the previous night was a slap in the face. It drove her to madness and she experienced a form of jealousy like never before. "I…I saw you last night."

A look of dawning spread across his face and Eric fought to keep his face neutral of all expressions. He wouldn't dare insult her by pretending not to know what she was speaking of. A feeling of dread enveloped him and dropped down into the pit of his stomach. She'd seen him with Donna the previous night in the Pit? So…she'd seen them kiss and possibly saw them leave together… He hesitated, not sure what to expect from his companion. Realistically, she had no right to be upset or jealous. She held no prior claim to him in any form whatsoever. But he knew that if the situation was reversed and he'd seen her in the arms of another man, he'd have been furious! "Oh…" It was far from eloquent, but he found himself at a loss for words. She was the one that insisted they remain platonic. But he couldn't help but worry that he'd forever ruined things. Despite their understanding to remain friends, he hated the thought that if something could have happened but didn't, it would be because of his actions. His feelings for Tris had grown exponentially. Despite the fact that he hadn't ever intended on opening himself up to someone else; the idea wasn't as scary when it came to her.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," Tris apologized. "I have no right to be upset."

"No, you don't," Eric agreed easily. "You're the one that stressed that we couldn't be anything other than friends, Tris."

She nodded along with him. "I know, but the way you confronted me by the cafeteria that day…" Maybe if he hadn't pulled away from her in the first place, they'd be together? Or as close to 'together' as Eric was willing to go. "I knew how you felt about everything and I was okay with it…or I tried to be. I never intended to develop feelings for you, you know?"

Eric sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Is this really about feeling something, anything, for me…or do you just not want anyone else to have me?"

"No!" She exclaimed, annoyed that he would even suggest such a thing. "Of course that isn't it. Do you really think that I could be so selfish?"

He shook his head in negative. He hadn't meant to offend her by asking that. However, it felt like a legitimate inquiry. She'd been the one that wanted to remain friends, how was he supposed to know that her feelings had changed? Tris learned to guard her emotions well in the months since initiation. "I'm sorry, I just had to ask."

"Somewhere along the way, I developed feelings for you. And I can't…maybe it was all so gradual, I didn't notice it at first. Watching you last night with Donna was like a punch in the gut, all those feelings came rushing to the surface." She'd been wholly unprepared for magnitude of emotions she'd felt in that minute. He'd put himself out there once and she'd denied him, now it was her turn to make the first move. "Please tell me that I'm not too late in saying this," she pleaded.

His eyes traveled the length of her body, from the top of her head to the tip of her toes and back up again. She appeared to be in earnest in her confession if the pleading expression on her face was anything to go by. "And what would you if I said I couldn't do that?"

Dread welled within her and her heart sank. She'd considered the possibility that he moved on; if not onto someone else, then from whatever he felt for her. What person in their right mind would stick around after being denied? Pushing down the disappointment she felt, Tris offered him a weak smile even though her eyes began to fill with unshed tears. "Then I would ask that you forget this conversation ever happened."

Eric shook his head. "And what if I told you that I can't do that either?"

What game was playing at? He'd alluded to the fact that he'd moved on from her, only to turn around and say something that could be construed hopeful. Unable to wipe the confusion on her face, she frowned at him. "Eric, please," she whispered. "Please don't joke right now."

His gaze settled on her face, looking from one of her eyes to another. Figuring that he'd tortured her enough, he pulled her against his body and used his arm to anchor her there against him. Using his free hand, he cupped the side of her face as he moved in to capture her lips. There was no hesitance or softness about their kiss. It was raw, passionate and hungry and they dueled for dominance as they molded their bodies against one another. When oxygen became an issue, Eric pulled back and surveyed his work. Her eyes were still closed, her lips swollen and tinted a rosy pink from their kiss.

Tris felt his breath fan over her face, but he made no move to kiss her again. When she opened her eyes and met his gaze, she was nearly knocked breathless by the intensity behind his blue-gray orbs. She couldn't remember ever having seen him so vulnerable when awake.

"What took you so long?" Eric asked, unable to think of anything else. "I was beginning to doubt that you felt something for me."

"I'm annoyingly stubborn, idiotic really," she waved away dramatically before locking her arms around his back. Resting her head against his chest, closed her eyes and inhaled his soothing scent. "I'm sorry I made you doubt me," Tris breathed against him.

Immediately returning the embrace, he locked his arms around her and tightened his hold when he heard her words. It didn't matter, none of it mattered. He was content to let the world fade away for a short time to a place where only the two of them existed.


End file.
